118 Responses to “President Obama Delivers a Statement on Iraq and Ferguson”

Cute. The citizen convoy being shot up is a real tragedy. Of course both sides are blaming the other. Ukraine says it has evidence the separatists did it. The separatists say they don’t have the capability. But then they admit over 1,200 “recruits” arrived from Russia with tanks and troop carriers.

As I was reading through the TOD comments and links, I thought to myself, “emoprogs and Black punditry who complain now are jumping the gun; it wouldn’t surprise me if PBO has written a New Philadelphia speech and will deliver it soon. If not today, then soon.”

PBO critics shoot first and aim later, something their GOP/MSM critics have in common.

Dang, I’ve got myself all worked up about PBO’s upcoming statement that I forgot to say this may be why PBO looks so tired now. Foreign crises are working themselves out, but this subject is such a powderkeg, especially with the elite white MSM who thinks they are “above” racism.

There were no tickets. Invitation only crowd, auditorium at National Constitution Center only seats about 250. Our names were on the guest list. We were given 3×5 cards with our seat numbers. I was dead center on the podium. When he looked straight ahead, we were eye level.

Long answer to, yes, I have my 3×5 card. After the primary, I rescued about 50 copies of the printed speech from the recycle bin.

The following guidelines are for police officers, neighborhood watchmen and anyone else that was “frightened” by an unarmed Black person. They’ve been utilized successfully throughout the Jim Crow era and are heavily based on 18th century Slave Codes. Yet even in 2014, these guidelines are as ripe as ever. During the Ferguson police press conference held on August 15th, 2014, they let the public “know” that they are carefully following these guidelines step by step.

I was thinking the same thing Sherijr. But when you think of everything that is going on in the world and the expectation that he take on the role of mediator and peacemaker, that in itself is exhausting.

Plus, I’m sure that he tried to enjoy time with his family during his VACATION, while staying on top of all the events going on….sleep must be a foreign concept for him right now.

The militarized police response to protests in Ferguson, Missouri, is forcing members of Congress to explain their ongoing support for a Pentagon program that provides local law enforcement with weapons used in war zones — and how, if at all, they plan to change it.

House lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in June to block legislation by Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) that would have stopped the program, which funnels surplus military weapons to police departments at no charge. The so-called ‘1033 program,’ launched in 1997, has provided billions of dollars in military equipment to local law enforcement agencies around the country. Grayson’s amendment failed 62 to 355, with Democrats opposing the legislation by a 3-to-1 margin.

The effects of the program have been on full display in Ferguson, where police have responded to mostly peaceful protests over the Aug. 9 murder of Michael Brown with a stunning display of force involving armored vehicles, tear gas, assault rifles and smoke bombs. The result is a nightly scene that looks more like an international war zone than a St. Louis suburb.

Yet while lawmakers have decried the excessive police response in Ferguson, a number of members told The Huffington Post they don’t expect Congress to do much to rein in the Pentagon program. That’s not so much because of intense lobbying from the defense industry, they said, but more because local police forces say they benefit from the free gear.
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What do crissles want the President to do or say? Do she want him to go to Ferguson and march and shout out loud that the officer Wilson need to be arrested and throw in jail. What these people don’t seem to understand Barck Obama is the President of all people, not just the black people. And he is doing all he can, by getting AG Holder and the DOJ to investigate this crime.

People don’t seem to understand how involvement by the President any more than what he is already saying and doing could result in problems when Officer Wilson is prosecuted. I’m sure that people don’t want Wilson to get off on a technicality due to something the President said or did. Let the people who understand the legal process do what they need to do and stop listening to the so-called learned people who talk more to hear themselves than to offer anything useful or constructive.

Missouri is an open carry, no permit required, state. If, in response to unarmed protesters, they bring out a fully militarized police force, what the hell would they do to black folks exercising their constitutional right to open carry?

Plus, the announcement by Jay Nixon that the curfew is Off tonight and Chief Johnson introducing the head of the national guard effort in Ferguson, not to mention the news that AG Holder will be arriving on Wednesday……..
Coincidence,no. An orchestrated multi-part announcement of how we will be proceeding.

So, as eager as I am to hear that Darren Wilson is behind bars, I will hold on to my hat a bit longer.
I trust my President.

Here I am! Had a good (and lengthy lunch) but missed the President’s speech. 😦

However, since I was already outside I took a look into my vegetable-weed garden. I picked 17 tomatoes of varying sizes, one green pepper and 4 cucumbers. Once inside and washing everything I noticed that the four largest and ripest tomatoes had already been taste tested, so of course I had to throw them away. Anyhow, I’m not complaining because that leaves 13 untouched – a real change from the last time I planted veggies. 🙂 🙂

Now to go back to the previous post to get a quick grasp of what happened in my absence.

Lots of rain – really truly, MP!
All I did was plant them, and I suspect most didn’t survive (like my cantaloupe, zucchini, green beans) because that’s literally all I did. Not that I am complaining! This was meant to be an experiment, as well as a way to use up some more space so I’d have less grass to cut. 😉

I think the president gave us another hint…..again…about what he is going to do post 2017. He is going to work hard to uplift and encourage people, especially young men of color, who have been left behind. Then, he is going to work with the majority communities and begin to build bridges of understanding and empathy. He is so consistent in what he said, says, did, does and will do, that his contributions have only begun.
He will want to make life more pleasant and just for any president of color who follows him, and work to dig out so much of the bigotry and hate we see and feel.
How stupid to ask if he should go to Ferguson. Ann’s traveled with presidents…….what would be more disruptive to the city than a presidential visit! Like going to the border. I read one border agent who said they despised it when politicians came because their visits made their work much harder. I can’t imagine the chaos of a presidential visit to Ferguson!

Anytime a politician parachutes into a hot spot, it causes a disruption.

After the Beirut bombing, the HASC & SASC ran hearing to “investigate,” I was tasked to provide two junior Marines to testify. One of the congressmen decided to try badger the troops into saying they were angry with the military chain of command. Didn’t work. Congressman finally said “you must be angry at somebody!” One of the Marines answer, “Yes sir, YOU! Every time a CODEL visits, it either takes us away from our duties or causes us forgo rest…”

I just finished a project and that was the ending I wrote. The President is doing all he can to uplift young men and my main character agreed to give the opening speech to the first class. I really do think that is what he is going to do. I can’t wait to see all he will accomplish!

This is a long Twitter exchange by a bunch of clueless Black pundits and other emoprogs who in 2014 STILL have no idea who POTUS is or how his mind works: Once again they spend an inordinate amount of time psychoanalyzing him, and projecting their own disturbing sense of woeful naivete, learned helplessness and despair on him. They refuse to put the focus rightfully where it belongs – on the ongoing investigation which could potentially result in an arrest and eventual conviction of Darren Wilson.

@rembert Feel like he is utterly exhausted. Actually feel bad for him. Not sarcastic pity. Like really feel bad.

Nobody even knew who these people were before 2008. It has been said here many times before, the election of President Obama is the reason why we know of them now, he is the reason why they even have a damn job. After he and his family leave the White House, these ignorant, useless people, will become unknown (again).

Df, I wish these people would ask themselves in what way they are being helpful to anything or anybody. Is their idle discussion going to advance things in Ferguson, help young men cope with police brutality, change the situation in any way? They are batting their gums the way people used to do when they actually hung the laundry in their back yards.

I don’t know what the hell is wrong with these people. There are very real constraints on what can be said by POTUS. This is not rocket science. These guys seem utterly and single-mindedly engaged in self-serving tortured angst in order to keep their careers going. Unfortunately, there’s always an audience of people who don’t bother to do their own thinking and this keeps this vicious circle going. SO disturbing.

If people actually listened to what PBO said today, his statement said everything people needed to hear in as forceful a way as possible. About Iraq, he was crystal clear about our limited involvement and threw in a dig at reporters that they might actually listen to important statements like the one he gave at West Point (rather than keep spouting tired talking points–edit mine). As for Ferguson, he said that he could not, in fairness to the justice system that he overseas through the DOJ, appear to take sides. It would not only be wrong, but screw up the whole investigation if he weighed in with an opinion about the guilt of the police officer who did the shooting. But he couldn’t have underscored more that he was closely watching, that the AG was going on site and that Gov Nixon better control his national guard. His reflection on the longstanding grievances against law enforcement in our communities were thoughtful and wise and, frankly, I don’t think any president in history could have walked this tightrope with more grace and intelligence. So Bravo, Mr. President. Those who think he should have pounded the podium and gone on a rant don’t have the smallest clue what it means to be president.

Thank you for the excellent and concise summary, jg. Somehow, I missed it, too many chores and distractions. I look forward to the YouTube. My fervent prayer is that these times are finally the turning point we have been approaching for hundreds of years. People are tired of hatred and division. In their hearts, people are loving, generous, kind, and funny. It is time we celebrate our gifts, and leave off our dark side.

Those pundits just can’t let go of their narrative and see what is plainly right in front of them. PBO’s judicious sensible approach got him elected and re-elected by the largest margins ina long time. It’s kept us out of more wars for profit, brought healthcare to 30 million and growing. And so on.

We admire PBO for his intelligence, his thoughtfulness, and his strategic skills. We appreciate that he does not rush to judgment and acts only when he has all the information needed to make good decisions. In his position as POTUS, he has access to more information and resources than any of us. As a constitutional lawyer and a community organizer, I believe he has a better understanding of how to go forward in this situation than the pundits who think their degrees make them all-knowing.

PBO explained why he must be careful about what he does as it pertains to Ferguson. So all of those who continue with their coulda-shoulda-oughta…shut up and listen!

Not one of them is president, either. They can spout and rant with no repercussions. They don’t have the mind, the temperament, the education, the empathy, the understanding, the respect for this country, the people and the constitution to be president. So, they are just as Shakespeare said: “Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

Chipsticks, while I still see the link to the previous post, I no longer see the link to the subsequent post. That was one of the indicators to me of a new post. Sometimes I would see that before I’d see the notification in the comments. Has something changed in Word Press? Just wondering.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen newspaper reported on Friday that Rayhons was charged with third-degree sexual abuse, a felony, in connection with an incident at his wife’s nursing home on May 23.

A criminal complaint filed against Rayhons, 78, said that he was told on May 15 that his wife, Donna, “did not have the cognitive ability to give consent to any sexual activity,” the newspaper reported.

The complaint, according to the Press-Citizen, said Rayhons visited his wife on the date in question and pulled the curtain closed in her room. The wife’s roommate later told authorities that she heard noises that led her to believe Rayhons was having sex with his wife, the newspaper reported.

The complaint also said there was surveillance video showing Rayhons “leaving his wife’s room and discarding undergarments,” according to the Press-Citizen.

For those who want to complain about were POTUS is? Why he isn’t going to Ferguson? AG Holder autopsy on Michael Brown being conducted today. You better believe AG Holder isn’t doing this without POTUS knowledge. POTUS is doing something after all.

I agree. People are wanting an activist as president Not a president who meticulously uses his office and power to get Justice. These people need to Learn how the US system works.

I heard that even Law Professor Ogletree suggested POTUS go to the funeral of Micheal Brown. I just went and screamed as I was told that. How many individual funerals did any president attended when a Citizen was killed by police?

People are entitled to their opinions……they are well within their rights to be demanding and even to keep calling for more…..but they totally are off their marbles when they are disrespectful, idealistic and bombastic for No Good Reason.